MOTHER-OF-THREE Kaye Ford is a boss in what was until recently almost entirely a man's world.

Kaye, 33, of Lumb-in-Rossendale, has taken over the running of a Burnley waste disposal site and it's associated quarry at Ford Natural Stone Ltd in Bacup Road.

Over the past two months Kaye has dealt with the building of a £250,000 project involving the installation of the most up-to-date environmental protection base for a waste disposal site.

She has liaised with experts from the environmental governing bodies of Waste Regulations and National Rivers Authority along with technicians and workmen involved in the installation of the new section of the waste disposal area.

As the company's co-ordinating director, Kaye is also responsible for the running of the quarry where stone from the site is exported worldwide.

She has dealt with exporting stone for Moscow's Pizza Hut, sandstone flags from the quarry have gone to Eric Clapton's home in Antigua, the new extension at Swansea jail is being built of Cliviger stone and when Terry Wogan walks around his home he is treading on Cliviger stone.

Kaye is proud to reveal that even the flags outside one of Harry Ramsden's fish and chip shops in Cardiff's new precinct are from Ford's Lancashire quarry and not made as might be expected of Yorkshire stone.

Kaye is also involved in the overseeing of the 34 men who make up the company workforce.

She started work in the family run concern as a general office clerk at the age of 20 and has built up a wide experience of the business.

Her partner, Mark Cropper, also works at the quarry as outside manager.

Kaye revealed the lengths, or rather depths, the firm has gone to build a base for the waste disposal site to ensure no harm will come to the environment.

A metre of clay is covered by a high density polyethylene liner. Within the clay is another liner which would fill any hole created.

On top of that is a screen of shale and that is covered with a double depth of commercial tyres stuffed with plastic, paper and cardboard to give even further protection to the liner when the site is brought into use for the disposal of non-hazardous general industrial waste.

Despite doing a full day's work, Kaye still finds time to look after the three children, Gordon, nine, Chloe, four, and Sophie, two.

She said: "Gordon attends Water County Primary School, and the girls are in nursery locally, and so it is not a matter of having far to travel. Everything works out quite well.''

Kaye even finds time to look after her horse as well.

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